All Fired Up
by MamaBearKat
Summary: The woman twisted weakly in his arms. Natsu maintained a firm grip on her. "Hey, it's okay Ma'am. You're safe now. There was a fire in your apartment, I'm with the Magnolia Fire Dept. Just take it easy while I get you to safety." Natsu saved Lucy from the fire, but will he be able to save her again? Inspired by amazing art of Fainttwinkling on Tumblr, used as cover with permission.
1. Chapter 1

Natsu jogged down the smoke-filled hallway, the torch on his hip doing little to illuminate the area directly in front of him. The fire was crackling further down the dark passageway, gaining hold; he needed to do this search sweep quickly so the team setting up two floors down could move in and fight the blaze. He'd already lost sight of his partner Gray in the haze, even though he was only a few feet away as he searched the apartments on the other side of the hallway.

"Hello? Anyone up here?", he yelled, voice muffled by the rubber mask of his breathing apparatus. Most people had already evacuated down the exterior fire escapes and were huddled in an anxious crowd in a small park across the street, but it was his job to quickly look for anyone unable to get out of the building. He systematically tested each door as he moved past. He was almost at the end of the hall, closest to the fire when he heard a dog barking. A small dog, by the sounds of the frantic high-pitched yapping.

His hand went to try the door knob, but it was already ajar. It was impossible to see anything through the thick smoke in this room, so he dropped to his hands and knees, using his hands and arms to feel. It was almost unbearably hot, he could see flames pushing into the room, the vicious crackle audible over the hiss of his breathing apparatus.

"Hey dog. Little help buddy? Where are ya?" A whimpering sound came from his left side and he reached out his gloved hand, but instead of a small dog, found the definite shape of a human arm, a woman's arm he guessed, by the size and shape.

"Gray, you there? I found someone. Evacuating her now. Are the paramedics out the front yet?" He could hardly see her in the darkness of the smoke-filled room, but managed to drag her towards him, rolling her onto her stomach. He felt relief roll over him when he heard a soft moan; she was still alive. He dragged her upwards so he could tuck his head under her arm and haul her onto his back, one hand around her slender wrist, the other tucked around her thigh.

Gray's voice crackled over the radio in his ear. "Yeah, Elfman said they're out the front already. Natsu, you need to get out. Your time's up, your tank should be close to empty. Do you think there's anyone else?"

"Nope, this was the last apartment. Fire's in the apartment at the end of the hall, western side."

"No one on this side either so the floor's clear. You take the injured person out; Elfman said the exterior crew's just about to send up a ladder", responded Gray.

Natsu shrugged the woman into position and was about to get to his feet when he heard another sharp bark. A small white dog was whimpering on the floor, cowering against his leg.

"Hey buddy. Thanks for letting me know where your girl was. Good job. But now it's time to go." He transferred the woman's wrist to the same arm hooked around her leg to lock her securely into a fireman's carry and scooped up the small dog with his other hand as he stood. There was a dull roar as the fire began to take hold, rippling across the ceiling above him like it was alive, dropping embers around them. It was definitely time to leave.

Natsu stepped out into the now pitch-black hallway, using his shoulder as a guide to where the opening of the stairwell was. He could hear Gray following him down, the sound of the slightly taller man's heavy boots echoing in the stairwell. Once they'd gone down one flight, Gray gave the all clear to send in the fire fighting crew with their hoses. Hopefully they'd caught it in time before it had jumped to the next level.

The woman in his arms moaned suddenly. "No, stay away!" she slurred, then coughed, her breath gasping a little as she twisted in his arms. Natsu maintained a firm grip on her.

"Hey, it's okay. You're safe now. There was a fire in your apartment, I'm with the Magnolia Fire Department. Just take it easy while I get you to safety Ma'am."

"You're not him?" the woman slurred again. She coughed, her breath wheezing, and Natsu hustled down the steps a little faster. She sounded disorientated, which was common with smoke inhalation injuries. The best thing he could do for her was to get her to the paramedics quickly so they could get her on oxygen and assess her injuries.

"Gray, I'm takin' her to the paramedics. You okay to make a report?" Gray nodded, holding the front door of the apartment building open for him before walking over to the crew gathered around the fire engine in front of the building.

Natsu jogged out of the building and across the road to where the paramedics where waiting. Wendy had an oxygen mask at the ready; Elfman must have let them know he was coming. "Hey Wendy. I got someone for you. She's been lapsing in and out of consciousness, coughing and wheezing and sounded a little disorientated. Fire had already taken hold, so I'd err on the side of caution and say carbon monoxide poisoning as well as smoke inhalation."

Natsu placed the dog gently on the ground for a moment so he could use both hands to carefully lay the woman down on the gurney as she continued to cough. He removed his helmet, breathing apparatus and hood, taking in a deep lungful of the smoky night air. The cooler air was a balm to his heated cheeks and soaked hair, the lighter pink darkened by sweat. He looked down at the woman on the gurney, able to get a good look at the woman he'd saved for the first time, now that he'd removed his safety equipment. She looked to be in her mid-twenties and had obviously had a rough night. Her skin was paled to a porcelain white, a stark contrast to the dark soot collected around her mouth and nose and the blood smearing her temple and golden blonde hair. Her cocoa eyes were wide and frightened. As Natsu moved to get out of the paramedic's way she grabbed his arm.

"Plue", she rasped, the effort of speaking making her cough more. "My dog, he was there…"

Natsu gave her a reassuring grin. "It's okay ma'am, try not to speak. I got 'im. He was the reason I found you. He's one brave pooch." He moved to one side to let Wendy in to assess the woman's injuries but picked up the small dog and held him so she could see her dog in his arms. The little white dog's tail wagged sluggishly as he heard his owner's voice, and he managed a few barking coughs similar to his owner. She reached out to stroke the furry ears.

"That's twice you've saved me tonight Plue. Good boy." Her arm tugged weakly on the heavy fabric of Natsu's heavy jacket. He could see she was in a lot of pain, but she looked up at him and gave him a grateful smile that went straight to his heart. "Thank you." She was stopped from saying any more as the blue haired paramedic gently placed an oxygen mark over her face.

"Lay back now ma'am. What's your name?"

"Lu…Lucy".

"Okay Lucy. I'm treating you for smoke inhalation. I know you're probably in a lot of pain right now, and I'll be giving you something for that in just a moment. You've got a few second degree burns on your arms and legs. I'm assuming you've got a pretty bad headache too huh?"

"Yeah". Lucy closed her eyes, her breathing still raspy. "He hit me."

"Who hit you?"

"The guy. The guy who started the fire…"

Natsu and Wendy shared a concerned look as Romeo set up an IV line.

"You're takin' her to Magnolia Central, right cuz?" asked Natsu. Wendy nodded, securing Lucy safely on the gurney with straps before she and Romeo loaded her into the back of ambulance. "Tell her I'll take care of her dog for her." Wendy nodded as she moved closer to Lucy in the back of the ambulance, placing a pulse oximeter on her finger-tip to monitor her heart rate and oxygen levels. Romeo shut the back door and climbed up in front.

"See ya later Natsu", he called as he started up the engine.

"Yeah, later kiddo", teased Natsu, chuckling as Romeo rolled his eyes at him. The ambulance drove off, and Natsu looked down at the dog whimpering in his arms. "Don't worry 'bout it Plue. I'm sure she'll be fine. We'll go visit later huh, after we get you looked at first." He turned back towards the fire, which was now mostly out thanks to the teams working both inside and outside the apartment block.

He put his fingers to his earpiece. "Hey Gray, ya loser. Still there?"

"Yeah. What's up flame brain?"

"Tell the chief he needs to call Erza. I think we've got more than a simple house fire on our hands. The woman had a head wound which she said was inflicted by a man who set the fire."

"Dammit. Looks like our arsonist is at it again."

"Yeah. And tell the Captain after I finish my report, I'm gonna have to end my shift early."

"What's wrong you idiot. Don't tell me you got yourself injured?"

"Nah. I'm dog sitting for Lucy. Know any good vet's around here?"


	2. Chapter 2

Natsu glanced from left to right as he stepped out of the lift, his short pink ponytail flicking over his shoulder as he looked for the Burns Unit desk. Seeing the bright green Information sign to his left, he walked hastily towards it, cradling a black backpack to his chest with both hands. He placed his backpack with care near his feet on the grey linoleum flooring that seemed ubiquitous to most hospitals and greeted the woman at the desk with a bright smile.

"Hi, can you tell me what room Lucy is in please?"

"Lucy….?" questioned the elderly woman, obviously waiting for him to provide the surname as she looked over her glasses at patient records on the computer screen in front of her.

"Oh. Uh, I didn't quite catch her last name." When the desk lady raised an eyebrow, he pointed to the Magnolia Fire Department emblem on his navy t-shirt. "I was part of the team that rescued her the night before last, and I just wanted to check in on her and make sure she was doin' okay." He reached into the back pocket of his faded blue jeans for his wallet. "I can provide some I.D. if you want…"

A sound of scratching and a small whimper came from the bag at Natsu's feet, and Natsu seemed to be suddenly overtaken with a violently loud coughing fit.

"Are you okay? Can I get you a glass of water?" asked the woman at the desk uncertainly.

"Nope, I'm fine, it's all good", answered Natsu, leaning forward with what he hoped was a winning smile.

"Lucy Heartfilia is in room 506, down the hall to your left. You might only have a time for a short visit though. A woman called earlier to say that she would need to interview Ms Heartfilia about the fire in her apartment, and…"

"That's okay, it's probably Erza. I know her. Thanks for the information ma'am."

Natsu picked up the black backpack and walked down the hallway, holding the bag carefully as he bent his head down to the small gap in the zippered opening. "Quiet down buddy!" he whispered. "You nearly blew our cover. What'd I say before? They don't usually let dogs visit in hospital wards, so you gotta be quiet Plue. Like a ninja pup, okay?" A small pink tongue flicked out to lick his cheek, and he chuckled. "Aw thanks, I'm flattered pup, but save your kisses for Lucy."

He walked down the hall towards the room the lady on the desk had directed him to but paused before knocking. Was he doing the right thing? He had never visited anyone he'd rescued before. He didn't think he was breaking any departmental rules, not that he'd gone looking. He just hadn't been able to get that woman's smile out of his head. To be in that much pain, and still be able to smile like the sun suddenly coming out from behind a cloud. He wanted to see that smile again. No, scrap that. He wanted to see how beautiful her smile could be when she was really happy.

And besides, he'd been taking care of Plue, and he'd seen how worried she was about her dog. He really was a lucky mutt – the vet had kept him overnight on oxygen for smoke inhalation, but apart from that he was uninjured. Natsu was hoping that seeing her dog would cheer Lucy up, because the news about her apartment really wasn't that great. He took a deep breath, and then knocked on the door.

"Come in", rasped a soft voice.

Natsu peeked his head around the door before walking in, standing a little uncertainly near the doorway. Lucy was sitting up in bed, dressed in a pale blue hospital gown, her blonde hair tucked behind her ears by the plastic tubing of a nasal canula for oxygen. There was a large gash on her forehead, pulled together with sutures, a darkening bruise under her right eye, and bandages on both her arms. But despite her injuries, the expression she turned toward the door was cheerful. Natsu opened his mouth to speak, then closed it again. Dammit, c'mon, this wasn't like him at all! He was _never_ all shy like this. He stepped forward with a grin.

"Hi, I'm Natsu. You probably don't remember me, but…"

"The firefighter! You _do_ have pink hair!" A soft blush pinked her cheeks, and she waved her hands in the air in front of her. "Ah, sorry, some of what happened is a little foggy, and I was wondering if my memory of a firefighter with pink hair was my brain hallucinating due to oxygen deprivation or something!" She coughed and took a few deep breaths.

Natsu grinned, walking over towards Lucy's bed. "Nah, definitely pink. I lost a bet a while ago and had to dye it, then decided I liked it enough to keep it." He gestured towards the cannula. "If you're feelin' a little out of breath, make sure you breathe in through your nose. I know those things are annoying, but they do help." He nodded approvingly as Lucy took a few more deep breaths, in through her nose and out through her mouth. "Do you mind if I sit down Ms Heartfilia?"

"Thanks, I keep forgetting to do that", Lucy smiled, her voice sounding a little easier. "Please, call me Lucy. I'm so glad that you dropped by. Now I get a chance to thank you properly."

Natsu smiled. "No need to thank me Lucy, it's what I do. I'm glad to see you're doin' better." He picked up the backpack and placed it gently on the bed. Lucy looked at him, a little confused. "There's a reason I wanted to visit you here while you were in hospital. I thought you might like to see someone who I know will cheer you up and make you feel a whole lot better."

Lucy's brown eyes widened a little in surprise. "Uh, I'm grateful that you saved me, but uh…"

"No, not me", he sputtered, chuckling at Lucy's pink cheeks and his own. "I guess that came out kinda weird, sorry".

He leaned to one side and pulled the privacy curtain, then unzipped the top of the now violently shaking bag. A small furry white head popped out, and Lucy's uneasy expression changed to one of delight.

"Plue!" she said excitedly, and Plue wriggled in the backpack in an effort to get closer to her, almost falling off the bed in his struggle. Natsu grabbed him just in time.

"Chill, buddy! Remember, I said this was a ninja mission – we need to keep you on the down low." He waited until Lucy had both hands on the bag containing the excited dog and got up to shut the door.

Lucy was giggling, scratching behind Plue's ears as he struggled to lick her hands. She looked up at Natsu as he sat down again, the smile on her face as bright as any sunrise Natsu had ever seen. "I'm assuming he's not allowed to be here then?"

Natsu grinned a little sheepishly as he helped Lucy lift Plue out of the backpack, then sat down on the chair again, rubbing the back of his neck. "I know they allow Pets as Therapy dogs in this ward, but I wasn't sure if they'd allow a visit from your own dog, so I kinda smuggled him in. I didn't know if anyone had let you know that I was lookin' after him."

Lucy's brown eyes filled with tears. "I don't know what to say. Thank you so much Natsu, I was so worried about him. He wasn't hurt at all, was he?"

"Nah, apparently he's tougher than he looks. He spent the night at the vets in an oxygen tent, and then he was good to go. No burns at all, which is pretty amazing considering how fast that fire was progressing."

Lucy's hand continued to rub Plue's silky ears. "I promise I'll pay you back for any costs involved in taking him to the vet." Natsu shrugged noncommittally, he wasn't fussed either way. Lucy looked up at Natsu, her gaze uncertain. "Natsu? Was the fire really that bad? Is… is my apartment okay?"

Natsu sighed. There was really no easy way to say this. "I'm sorry Lucy. It was totally burnt out. There's not much left. The building owners had structural engineers in there not long after the arson squad had gone over the place and it doesn't look great."

"Oh. I see." She lowered her gaze, looking down to Plue who was currently snuggled into her lap, then looked back to Natsu, her brown eyes overly bright. "You know what? Th… that's okay. Plue is alive. I'm alive. They… they were only things right. That's what insurance is for, right?" Her lips compressed together, twisting as she struggled to keep her emotions under control. "There's really nothing left huh?" she said softly. A large tear rolled down her bruised cheek, followed by another, and she screwed her eyes shut, as if trying to stop them coming.

Natsu reached out his hand tentatively, placing it gently on her upper arm and rubbing soothingly. "Hey Lucy? It's totally okay to be upset. If you need to cry, you go right ahead."

Lucy's lip wobbled a little more, her voice coming out in a squeaky rush. "I know I just met you and all Natsu, but I could really, really use a hug right now."

"You got it Lucy", he said softly.

A small whimper escaped Lucy's pressed lips as Natsu reached forward, his arms circling her gently. His hands rubbed her back soothingly as she rested her head on his shoulder, sobs finally escaping. Plue wriggled in the space between them on the bed, whining and pressing his face into Lucy's hands.

Natsu's teeth clenched as he hugged Lucy. He loved his job, but this part, the part where they didn't make it in time and people lost everything? He hated it. And having been through it himself, even though he'd been much younger when his family had lost everything in a house fire, meant he understood Lucy's distress. Yes, they were just things, but they were markers to important events in her life, mementoes that were probably irreplaceable.

He made soothing noises, wishing he could do more. He knew he should probably feel awkward, hugging a girl he'd just met but… There was just something about her. He didn't know what it was, and now was definitely not the time to push any kind of romantic feelings, but he was glad that he could provide her with some sort of comfort at least. There was no sign of other visitors having been to her room – no flowers, no cards, no empty cups. He wondered if she had anyone to be there for her. Maybe no one knew she'd been injured yet? Had her family been called?

Hearing that her sobs had quieted, Natsu leaned back, moving his hands to gently squeeze her upper arms. "Anytime you need a hug Lucy, you just ask, 'kay?" Lucy nodded, then laughed apologetically.

"I'm sor..ry", she said, her voice raspy again, her breaths uneven. "I… got… snot… all over… your shirt." Natsu reached forward towards the switches and knobs on the wall behind Lucy's hospital bed and dialled up the saturation level of oxygen coming through the plastic tubing.

"What's a little snot between friends huh?", he smiled comfortingly, his green eyes crinkling at the corners. "Don't sweat it, Lucy. Deep breaths. It's gonna be okay." Lucy nodded and closed her eyes, concentrating on her breathing for a few minutes, then opened them again.

"What am I gonna do Natsu?", she sighed, looking down at Plue and stroking the soft white fur on his head as he gazed adoringly up at her, his pink tongue lolling out.

"Lucy, I know it will be hard but try not to worry too much about what's gonna happen once you leave here for the moment", he suggested. "You need to concentrate on getting well first. Did the doctor give you any idea of how long you'll be here?"

Lucy shook her head. "Uh, that's a little foggy. They're waiting to see how my injuries heal. Something to do with percentages, and partial thickness burns, I think. I was in some kind of chamber for a while yesterday to help with my breathing, and I was on a morphine drip for a while. Most of yesterday is a big blur."

Natsu nodded sympathetically. "Glad I decided not to come yesterday then. I wanted to make sure I could bring Plue with me. Is there anyone I can call for you? Your parents, family?"

Lucy sighed. "There's no one. All my family have passed on. I haven't made any friends here in Magnolia yet, I only moved here last month for…". Her eyes widened and she groaned. "For a job I probably don't have anymore. Jason's gonna kill me."

"Who's Jason?" asked Natsu, not knowing who he was, but disliking him already.

"My boss, Jason. I'm an investigative reporter for the Magnolia Times, and I was meant to file a story yesterday, on… on… a possible… arsonist. Natsu, you don't think the fire could have anything to do with that could you?"

Before Natsu could answer, there was a sharp knock on the door. Lucy looked at Natsu, and then down at Plue. "Who is it?" she called out, as Natsu tried to coax Plue back into the backpack.

"Erza Scarlett, from the Arson Squad, Magnolia Police Department. I need to speak with you regarding the fire in your apartment Ms. Heartfilia. May I come in?"

Lucy looked towards Natsu, who grinned and nodded. "I know Erza, it's fine."

"Please come in", Lucy called out, coughing a little at the effort of raising her voice again. She looked at her dog, currently sitting in Natsu's lap. He'd refused to get back in the backpack. "Natsu", she hissed, "what about Plue?"

"Eh, I'm sure it'll be fine", he grinned. "And if not, I'm willing to take the heat for it. It was worth it." Lucy raised an eyebrow quizzically. "I got to see that smile again."


	3. Chapter 3

Lucy tried to keep a smile on her face as the red headed woman in a navy-blue skirt and police uniform shirt entered her room, the clicking of her high heels softened by the linoleum flooring. She realised this woman would be asking her to give her version of events regarding the apartment fire, and she was having trouble concentrating. It was hard to concentrate on anything at the moment when she was feeling more than a little overwhelmed. Natsu had just told her that everything she owned in this world was gone; her clothes, her books, her photos… everything. She was sitting here in a hospital gown - she didn't even own the clothes on her back. There was just her and Plue. And a wave of rising panic.

She gulped and pushed the feeling down. Natsu's visit with Plue had been a welcome reprieve, and for a little while she'd felt genuinely happy for the first time in ages. Something about Natsu made her feel comfortable. Even when he'd told her about her apartment, she hadn't felt as alone as she had this morning, waking up in a hospital room with only vague memories of how she'd got there. His presence was warm and cheerful, and with him in her room she'd felt safe. She'd allowed herself a few minutes to collapse in Natsu's arms, to lean on a stranger's strength for a just a moment while she regrouped, but that would have to be enough. It's not like she would probably ever see him again once she was out of hospital, apart from picking up Plue. It wouldn't be long before she would be forced to go back out into the real world, alone.

The real world didn't stand still for feelings. It didn't care when her mother had died when she was only a child, and as she struggled through high school alone with a father made mentally distant by crippling depression. It didn't care that when she'd finally reconnected with her father only a year ago, he'd been diagnosed soon after with inoperable cancer. It didn't care that after nursing him for six months she'd had to say goodbye to the only family member she had, leaving her alone in the world.

Feelings were there to be swallowed. Only the surface mattered. If you showed a smiling face, people didn't dig too deep. No matter what they said, people didn't really want truth when they asked, 'How are you?' They didn't want messy emotions that made them uncomfortable. They wanted politeness, safeness, sameness.

She took a deep breath, and turned her smile towards the police woman, watching as she greeted Natsu by name, saw her smile at Plue as Natsu explained the reason for the dog in his lap. Watched as they teased each other, obviously old friends. She used the minute they spent chatting to focus her thoughts on trying to remember the fire. At the moment it was a blur, but she was pretty sure if she concentrated, she would be able to remember some details that might be helpful.

This woman, Erza, was from the Arson Squad, so the fire hadn't been an accident. Natsu had mentioned the Arson Squad too, saying they'd examined her apartment, and for some reason she hadn't quite worked out yet, that didn't surprise her. Something had happened. She'd been struggling with a panicky feeling since this morning. It was vague; she couldn't really remember much, but something at the back of her mind told her she should be afraid.

Images flashed across her memory. _An empty hallway. A man with spiked blond hair, a tattooed face, teeth sharpened to points. A rasping voice. His leer as he mouthed the words "You're pretty."_

She didn't realise that she was gasping for breath until she felt a touch on her shoulder, and Natsu's concerned gaze. The edges of her vision were blurring out a little, and dark spots floated across her vision. She concentrated on the green of his eyes. They were almost too green, not hazel, but a deep moss green, shot with hints of emerald. And his eyelashes. The long dark lashes framed his eyes made them seem even brighter somehow.

Natsu's voice sounded a little fuzzy, and she could feel her fingers tingling, hands twisting as the muscles spasmed, and the pain of the burns on her forearms flared. There was a high-pitched buzzing noise in her ears and her heart thumped hard and rapid against her chest, like a caged animal trying to escape. Was she dying? Her eyes widened as a feeling of pure panic rose in her chest again, and she watched as Natsu calmly handed Plue to the red-haired woman, and pushed the nurse call buzzer, then grasped her hands in his. He was talking again. The words and meaning were fuzzy, but the tone was warm, comforting. His hands were warm too, squeezing her cold tingly fingers. He was breathing slowly, exaggeratedly, in through his nose, and out through his mouth, his generous lips pursing as he pushed the air out. Should she do that too?

She tried to follow Natsu's breathing and felt his hands squeeze hers again as he nodded in encouragement. In and out. She did her best to copy him, her eyes locked on his, feeling rather than seeing a nurse replace the nasal cannula with a full faced oxygen mask. All of her visual awareness was locked on Natsu. When he tried to release her fingers to move out of the nurse's way, she resisted, grasping his fingers more firmly. She felt so cold and his hands were warm.

Gradually the rest of the room came back into focus. She could feel the tightness of a blood pressure cuff on her arm, and the cold sensation of a stethoscope on her back as the nurse listened to her heartrate. The sound of whimpering as Plue struggled in the policewoman's arms, desperate to get to her. The firm grasp of Natsu's fingers. She squeezed them one more time in thanks, and then let them go, her heart beating a little faster again as she realised he was sitting on the bed next to her. But that wasn't important right now. She turned her gaze to the police woman sitting quietly out of the way on the chair next to her bed.

"I remember. I remember who started the fire."

The police woman's gaze sharpened.

The nurse interrupted. "I'm not sure if Ms Heartfilia should be discussing this right now. Her heartrate is still elevated, and I'd prefer it if she got some rest and calmed down first."

Lucy shook her head. "Please", she said, her voice muffled by the oxygen mask over her face. "I want to give the information I have while it's still clear in my head. It's important." The nurse pursed her lips and then let out a heavy sigh.

"I want you to keep that mask on for the next ten minutes without talking. I'll be back to check on your obs, and if you've made some improvement, _then_ I'll allow it." Her eyebrow twitched in amusement. "And you'd better get that dog out of here before the next shift starts – _I _don't mind, but you might not have as much luck with the next nurse on duty."

Natsu chuckled. "Sure thing."

When the nurse left, Erza got to her feet, handing a still wriggling Plue to Natsu. "Ms Heartfilia, if you don't mind, I will go to the cafeteria and purchase a coffee to give you a moment to collect your thoughts. Can I get anything for you Natsu?"

Natsu looked towards Lucy. "Maybe I should take Plue and go, so Lucy can get some rest." When Lucy's eyes widened and she shook her head, he smiled easily at her, plonking Plue in her lap and moving off the bed to sit in the chair that Erza had just vacated. "Okay. Guess I'll have a long black then, thanks Erza."

After Erza had left, Natsu and Lucy shared a comfortable silence for a few minutes, Natsu gazing out the window while Lucy stroked Plue's ears as he settled down on her lap.

"Natsu?", she said softly. Natsu glanced back to her and shook his head.

"I don't think your ten minutes are up yet Lucy. Nurse's orders, remember." He smiled at her irritated sigh. "You did really well before. I used to have panic attacks all the time when I was younger – I remember how scary they feel." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Did you remember something about the fire that frightened you?"

Lucy closed her eyes and nodded, concentrating on her breathing for a moment before opening them again.

Natsu turned his gaze back towards the window. "When I was nine, our house burnt down. I was stuck downstairs in the basement – we had a rumpus room down there, where I had my Nintendo 64 set up." He laughed. "I was so into playing Super Smash Bros. I didn't notice the fire at first, and then I couldn't get out because the door was blocked from the other side, and the window was too small to climb out of. I cut myself pretty badly on the glass trying though, before the fire crew could get to me. For a while I was terrified of fire; couldn't even have birthday candles on my cake without setting off a panic attack." He laughed again. "And look at me now, I'm a fireman."

He gave her a grin. "I guess what I'm tryin' to say Lucy, is that even though we don't know each other very well, I sort of understand. And, if you'll let me, I'd like to be there for you. I'd like us to be friends. Gotta start makin' friends in a new city sometime right?"

For just a moment, Lucy hesitated. She hadn't had any real friends for such a long time, but in the short time she'd known him Natsu had proven himself to be brave, strong and caring. He made her feel happy. And if that wasn't enough, Plue trusted him. She gave him a small smile. "I'd like that Natsu", she said softly. Natsu's answering grin gave her a warm feeling, and suddenly she didn't feel quite so alone any more.

A sharp knock alerted them to Erza's return, carrying two takeaway cups of coffee. Erza grabbed herself a second chair, passing Natsu's coffee to him. The nurse bustled in, and checked Lucy's obs, grudgingly giving Erza the go ahead to ask questions. She replaced the oxygen facemask with the nasal cannula, reminding them not to stress Lucy too much, before heading out of the room.

"Are you sure you feel ready to proceed Ms Heartfilia?" asked Erza, taking out her recorder. "I'll be recording this conversation, if you're happy with that. At the moment this interview is informal, to gather information for the case."

"Do you need me to leave Erza?" asked Natsu.

"Actually, I'd prefer you'd stay, seeing you were responsible for Ms Heartfilia's evacuation from the building. You might be able to add to her recollection."

Lucy looked at Erza uncertainly. "I'll do my best, but everything is a little hazy."

"Why don't you start from earlier on in the evening Ms Heartfilia, that might help jog your memory", said Erza kindly.

"Alright. I got home late from work. I'm a journalist; I'm actually researching a story at the moment on the recent string of apartment fires in Magnolia", began Lucy. "I'd decided to take a break from work and spend some time on a private project I have…" She closed her eyes and tried to remember.


	4. Chapter 4

_Lucy leaned back in her chair, lacing her fingers together and stretching her arms above her head. The faint glow from her laptop was the only light in her bedroom and she was surprised to see how dark it was. Looking at the time in the bottom right corner of her screen she internally groaned - 1.34am. So much for getting an early night. She'd just been so in the zone! _

_It was around 8pm when she'd got home from work and sat down at her desk with a cup of coffee; that coffee was now stone cold, the black liquid looking distinctly unappetising. Lucy rubbed her eyes tiredly. Working during the day as an investigative reporter for the Magnolia Times and writing her novel at night was exhausting, but she couldn't think of any other way around it. She wanted to be a writer full-time, but until she'd sold a couple of manuscripts and made a name for herself, she had to work too. Good thing she had no friends or social life, she joked internally, she really didn't have time for them. _

_She sighed, and picked up the coffee cup, padding off towards her tiny kitchen, stopping on the way to see if Plue was asleep. She walked over to the dog basket tucked behind the sofa, bending down to stroke his furry white puppy ears as he dozed. "Sorry boy", she whispered, "looks like we missed dinner again." _

_She reached for the jar of dog biscuits and filled his bowl, refreshing his water too. He'd eat when he woke up, she was sure. Now that she thought about it, she was kinda hungry too. Lunch was a long time ago. She tipped the now cold coffee down the sink, leaving the cup to be washed later, and poked her head into her fridge to see if she had anything that she could heat up and eat quickly before heading off to bed. Yes! Leftover Kung Pao chicken from last night! She shoved it into the microwave and went to get changed into cotton sleep shorts and a singlet, her stomach rumbling in anticipation of the 'ding' that would announce that her dinner was ready. _

_She was just about to take the chicken out of the microwave when she sniffed, noticing a rank smell in her small kitchen. With a small stab of guilt she realised she hadn't taken out the rubbish for a few days, so with a long-suffering sigh she pulled the plastic bag out of the kitchen bin and knotted it. She'd just take it to the garbage chute at the end of the hall and then she could sit on the sofa guilt free and eat her late dinner before heading off to bed. _

_Sliding on her flip flops and pocketing her door key, Lucy pulled her door shut behind her and walked to the end of the hallway, opening the metal chute and dropping the plastic bag down. She yawned, wondering if she could call in sick tomorrow, but she knew Jason wouldn't buy it. Bills had to be paid, and it wasn't like she disliked her job. _

_Take those arson cases she was investigating at the moment. She shivered a little. They were kinda disturbing – all the fires had started late at night in apartment blocks while the occupants were asleep. All had been young single women, and all had escaped so far thanks to their fire alarms, except for the last one, who was still in intensive care with extensive burns. It was the sort of thing that could creep a girl out, if you let it. _

_A prickling feeling on the back of her neck had her shivering. What was it Mama used to say? 'Someone walked over my grave…' Not a comforting thought when you were standing in an empty hallway late at night. She shivered again. Definitely time to go back to her apartment and lock the door. _

_She dug her key out of her pocket to open the door, but it was already ajar. Hadn't she locked it? She was sure she'd pulled it shut behind her, but maybe she was more tired than she'd thought. She pushed open the door and locked it behind her, walking over to her small table near the kitchen to drop her keys in the bowl filled with coins. As she turned back to retrieve her chicken from the microwave, a movement caught her eye. _

_Lucy froze. Her brain worked frantically, screaming at her to run. She'd just seen a shadow in her bedroom, a human sized shadow. She started moving towards the doorway slowly, trying not to make a noise, but it was too late. A man appeared, blocking her exit. _

_She tried to remember details that she could pass on to the police later. He was taller than her, maybe a whole head taller. Spiky blond hair. Tattoos like a leopard print around his yellow eyes. Teeth filed to a point. Not like it would be hard to pick him up out of a line up. But she had to get out first. _

"_I've already called the police", she said firmly, hoping her bluff would cause him to run and leave her alone. _

_The man grinned at her, tilting his head to one side as he gazed at her. "You're pretty", he rasped, stepping towards her. "It's a shame you broke the rules. No one gets to see me. It's a pity I'll have to kill you now." He started towards her, and she backed away, trying desperately to think of a way to get past him to the door, but coming up with nothing. Her apartment was on the seventh floor, it was too high to jump off her balcony, and the fire escape was near the bedroom window._

_A crackling noise came from her bedroom, hard to place for a moment when she was so frightened, but then the flickering light helped her work it out. Fire. He'd started a fire in her room. She would just have to try to run past him. There was no other way. Picking up the lamp, she yanked the cord out of the socket and flung it at him, hoping to sprint past him as he ducked, but he was too fast. A heavy torch swung into the side of her head. Fireworks popped behind her eyes as pain lanced through her skull. Her vision blurred as she fell to the floor near the bedroom door. _

"_Sorry girlie. Nothin' personal", he grunted. Lucy rolled to her side, struggling to keep from falling unconscious, pushing feebly with her hands to back away from him. He raised the heavy torch again, but before it fell, a white streak shot out from behind the sofa, latching onto the man's hand. He dropped the torch, blood dripping from the deep bite in his wrist. He snarled, aiming a heavy boot at the small white dog, who dodged, growling and yapping. _

_Choking black smoke was filling the room, and sirens sounded in the distance. Lucy struggled to focus. Where was he? Was he gone? She could hear Plue barking, but she couldn't see. The room was dark with smoke, and she coughed, blood trickling as her head pounded in time with her heart. It was so hot. She needed to get out of the apartment, away from the flames. Her legs hurt. She rolled and tried to drag herself on her forearms towards the front door. The carpet was burning. Plue was still barking. She couldn't breathe. Was she almost at the door? Her arm reached out, stretching, and then everything went dark. _

Lucy opened her eyes. Erza's face was grim, but she nodded her thanks. Natsu's jaw was clenched.

"Fuck Lucy, I think I need a hug after listening to that", he growled. Lucy made a weird hiccupping noise, halfway between a laugh and a sob. Natsu poured her a glass of water from the jug on the bedside table and handed it to her. She took it gratefully, drinking it in small sips.

'Do you have anything to add Natsu?" asked Erza.

"Not really", said Natsu gruffly, his concerned gaze focused on Lucy. "By the time we arrived on the job, the blaze was well away. Gray and I were on a rescue sweep before the fire crew moved in. I heard a dog barking; the door to the apartment was already ajar. It was too dark to see anything, so I went in low. I found Lucy maybe ten feet away from the entrance, towards the western side of the apartment. She was unconscious when I carried her out. Plue wasn't. She struggled a little as I moved her down the stairs; I thought she was just disorientated due to smoke inhalation at the time, because she said, 'You're not him.' Makes sense now though."

Natsu reached out to scratch Plue's ears, smiling as Plue whined in delight. "Good boy Plue. You did save Lucy twice, a true ninja pup if ever I saw one." Lucy giggled tiredly, and Natsu reached up to take the glass from her as she leaned back on the pillows. "Lucy regained consciousness as I did a handover to Wendy and Romeo. She mentioned someone hitting her and setting the fire, so I called Gray to pass on a message to Chief Makarov to get in contact with you about possible arson. That's it."

"Alright, I think I have everything I need for the moment. I'll be in contact again Ms Heartfilia." Erza placed the recorder in her bag and stood. Natsu stood also.

"Erza, can I speak to you for a moment?" said Natsu quietly. They moved towards the doorway as Lucy closed her eyes.

She was suddenly very very tired. Her arms and legs throbbed, her head ached, and her throat felt raspy, like she'd swallowed razor blades. She turned her head as Natsu sat down again. He looked serious. "Lucy, I don't want to worry you, but I've asked Erza to arrange a police guard on your room until they catch this guy. I'm not leavin' until they get here."

Lucy swallowed. She should probably be more frightened, but now she just felt exhausted. "Okay."

The nurse bustled in. "Time for your pain medication Lucy."

"Oh, good." She felt a sting in her arm as the nurse injected the medication into the IV line in her elbow and lay quietly as the nurse completed her obs again and wrote them on her chart. By the time the nurse had finished she was feeling decidedly woozy.

"Hey Natshu", she slurred, beckoning him a little closer. He grinned at her unfocused expression, picking a sleeping Plue up off her lap and placing him on her own.

"What's up Luce?"

"You know the worsht thing? The absolute worsht? About this whole fire?" Natsu shook his head, still grinning.

Lucy's eyebrows lowered. "I was really looking forward to eating that chicken. I _love_ Kung Pao chicken. And it was _wasted_." Her bottom lip stuck out as she pouted, her eyes blinking sleepily.

Natsu chuckled, his green eyes twinkling. "Okay Luce, I'll do you a deal. You hurry up and get better, and as soon as you're up to it, I'll take you out for Kung Pao chicken. All you can eat."

"Yay." Lucy tried to raise her arms, but they were too heavy. All of her was too heavy. "It's a date. Kung pao date." Her eyes drifted closed.

She felt a soft squeeze of her hand and she squeezed back. "G'night Natshu."

She heard another chuckle. "Sweet dreams Luce."


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm thinkin' of asking Lucy to move in."

Gray nearly dropped the rolled fire hose that he and Natsu were carrying back to the truck after running through drills earlier with the new recruits.

Natsu looked up when his partner didn't answer, taking in his widened eyes. "What?"

"Uh, Natsu, haven't you only known her for, like, a week?"

Natsu growled in answer, tempted to drop his hose and punch his so-called best friend in the shoulder. "Goddammit Gray, not like that! As friends, you dick!" He grunted, lifting the heavy rolled hose and putting it back in the truck. "They'll be discharging her from the burns unit in a few days, and she's got nowhere to stay." He pulled his gloves off and stowed them in the back pocket of his navy uniform pants. "Besides, it's not like it'll be just the two of us. Wendy's there. And now that Gajeel's moved out we have a spare room. Although", he made a gagging face, "I'll have to disinfect it or somethin' before she moves in there."

Gray's eyebrows rose further in surprise. "She doesn't have any relatives or friends here in Magnolia that she can stay with?" He placed the hose he'd been carrying back and pulled down the shutter door on the side of the fire truck, after double checking all the hoses were stowed securely.

Natsu shook his head. "She doesn't have any family. And she just moved here."

"Man, that sucks", empathised Gray.

"Yeah. I just thought that seeing our house isn't that far from the hospital, it would make things easier for her. Her doctor said she'll have to go back to outpatients to get her bandages changed for the next week or so once she's discharged." Natsu tucked the key to the engine safely into his pocket. "Besides, I'll feel better knowing where she's stayin' until they catch that arsonist."

"Well, she definitely seems to be easy to get on with." Gray had met Lucy a few days ago, when he and Natsu had dropped in for a quick visit before their shift at the firehouse started. "She seems very happy." His eyebrow quirked up when Natsu made a face. "What, she's not happy? She smiled the whole time I was visiting!"

Natsu huffed out a deep breath. "Gray, remember back in high school, when I used to fly off the handle and get in fights all the time? After Igneel died I mean. When I was a major dumbass."

"What, you're not a dumbass anymore? Could a fooled me", grinned Gray. He chuckled at the glowering look on Natsu's face, then dropped his smile with a sigh. "Yeah, I remember."

Natsu looked out across the empty field behind the firehouse to the docks and ships visible in the distance. "I think Lucy's smiles are like that. Her dad only died six months ago."

"You think she's depressed?"

"I'm sure of it. I wanna help her Gray. If she'll let me."

Gray's smile returned. "You really like this girl, don't you?" Natsu's gaze didn't shift from looking out to the docklands and he didn't answer, but to Gray's mind, he didn't need to. The rising blush heating the back of Natsu's neck told Gray more than any words he might say.

* * *

Lucy spluttered, waving her hands in front of her. "Wendy, Natsu, no! I couldn't possibly intrude like that!"

Wendy flicked her long blue plait over her shoulder, pulling her chair closer to the edge of Lucy's hospital bed. "Seriously Lucy, you'd be doing us a favour. The house feels so empty when Natsu's on a 24-hour shift at the fire house now that Gajeel's moved out. Not that he ever said too much. You've met him, you know what a great conversationalist he is." Natsu sniggered in the background at Wendy's comment.

Lucy smiled. Gajeel was one of the policemen that had been assigned to keep an eye on her after Erza's first visit, and she'd been surprised to learn that he was Natsu and Wendy's cousin. He'd looked a little intimidating, but she'd done her best to get to know him, trying to engage him in conversation when he was on duty. She had only managed to get a few grunts and noncommittal shrugs out of him, and he'd spent most of his time slouched near the doorway. His partner Levy was much easier to talk to.

She'd been under 24-hour watch since she'd made a second formal statement to Erza and her partner Jellal about her run in with the arsonist. Two other police, Officers Jet and Droy, were assigned during the evening shift. Erza now even had a possible suspect, but they still hadn't been able to catch him. There hadn't been any more fires after the one at Lucy's apartment, but Erza was confident that he would strike again.

The fact that the arsonist was still at large, and that Erza had decided she still needed a police guard did make Lucy feel a little uneasy about leaving the hospital. It was one of Natsu's main arguments for having her move in with him and Wendy.

Natsu parked himself on the end of the bed near Lucy's feet. "C'mon Luce. It'll be fun! Where else are you gonna be able to find a place to stay with Plue until you decide what to do with your apartment? It's not that far from the hospital, so you'll be able to come back here easily for your appointments and stuff."

Lucy looked at him uncertainly. "But you could rent out that room and get money for it."

Natsu snorted. "Why would me an' Wend want some stranger livin' in our house when we could have you Lucy?"

Lucy sighed at him. "Natsu, we only met a week ago. I _am_ some stranger."

"Pfft. Are not. I know all the important stuff about you Lucy."

Lucy raised a quizzical eyebrow.

Natsu grinned and started to tick items off on his fingers. "I know you don't snore when you sleep. I know you're gainfully employed, because I was here when that guy Jason dropped in to visit you, and he said you could work freelance until you were up to going back full time. I know you like Jackie Chan movies. I know you love spicy food." He wiggled his fingers at her. "Perfect housemate material as far as I'm concerned." Lucy still had a worried look on her face and he sighed, dropping his hands into his lap and shrugged. "Lucy, if you really don't like stayin' with us after a week, I'll help you find somethin' else. Scout's honour."

Lucy tried to stop the grin that wanted to spread across her face. "Natsu, were you ever a scout?"

"Nuh uh. But it sounds more trustworthy if I say it that way, don'tcha think?"

Wendy added her voice to Natsu's. "I'll help too, if you change your mind. But, please, come try staying with us Lucy. It'll be so nice to have another female in the house, after being the only girl living with slobby, smelly boys all this time."

"Oi!" growled Natsu, raising his eyebrows. "Don't lump me in with that metal freak Gajeel!"

Lucy giggled at the mock outrage on his face, and the cheesy grin he tossed her way at the sound of her laugh. She couldn't help feeling happier when she was around him. Something about him made her feel more like herself than she had in a long time.

"Okay, you've convinced me." Their matching cheers made her heart feel warm, and for the first time, she was feeling excited about leaving the cocoon of safety that her hospital room had become.

* * *

"You got everything Lucy?" asked Natsu, hovering in the doorway to her hospital room.

Lucy looked down at the shopping bags in her hands. "Yup, all set."

She'd given her clothing sizes to Wendy, who'd gone shopping for some basic underwear and a couple of outfits until she could go shopping herself. The tubigrip dressings on her arms and legs felt weird under her loose cotton t-shirt and pants, and the burns on the top of her feet limited her footwear choices to flip flops, but it wasn't like she was trying to win any fashion awards at the moment.

"Okay, hand 'em over Luce", said Natsu, gesturing to the shopping bags. "Let's get this show on the road."

They walked down the hallway to the lift, Lucy waving goodbye to various nurses as they saw them. She paused in front of the lift for a moment, taking a deep breath, before stepping in. The bustle in the hospital lobby as the lift door opened on the ground floor surprised Lucy for a moment – it felt strange seeing so many different people after staying in one room for nearly a week.

Natsu strode purposefully out through the double doors at the hospital entrance and off towards the carpark. Lucy tried to keep up, but soon she was out of breath and had to stop, leaning forward with her hands braced on her thighs. The occupational therapist at the hospital had said she'd probably get out of breath for a little while as her lungs healed, but she hadn't realised it would occur this easily. Natsu hadn't even been walking that fast.

Natsu turned as he noticed she was no longer following him, and realised what was wrong straight away, as he took in her panting breaths and slightly pale face. "Shit Lucy, you should a said somethin' if I was goin' too fast. Do you need me to take you back?" He hovered next to her anxiously.

Lucy shook her head and stood up. "I'm good… just need to… catch my breath." Natsu smiled, although his expression was still a little perturbed.

"No worries, Lucy. We'll just stay here and admire the scenery, until you're ready to move again."

"Natsu… we're in a… carpark", Lucy giggled in between deep breaths.

"Well, it's a pretty nice carpark, as carparks go. I've seen worse." He watched her carefully until her breathing became more even, then put both shopping bags in one hand, extending his elbow out in front of her. "Are you ready to proceed to your chariot now milady?"

"Why thank you kind sir." Lucy wrapped her fingers around Natsu's bicep, and they headed on through the carpark at a much gentler pace, stopping in front of a beat up fire-engine red Datsun 510. "Wait, this is your car?"

"Yup", said Natsu, opening the passenger side door for Lucy and tapping the roof of the car affectionately. "She may be a little old now, but she still purrs like a kitten. Dad's hobby was rebuilding old cars – I helped him do this one when I was in high school."

Lucy rubbed her hand over the black leather seats as she looked for the seatbelt. "Doesn't he like doing that anymore? Rebuilding cars I mean?"

Natsu dropped into the driver's seat and slammed the car door. He paused for a moment and then gave her a half smile. "My Dad died when I was 15, not long after we'd finished working on this car actually." Reacting to the distressed expression on Lucy's face, he reached out his hand and placed it gently over hers. "Please don't say you're sorry Lucy. I like talkin' about my old man. He was a great dad, and I like thinkin' about him."

Lucy's gaze dropped to her lap. "I don't know if I'll ever be able to do that."

Natsu squeezed her hand. "If you ever do want to talk, you know I'll be happy to listen, okay?" Lucy nodded, her eyes still lowered, and Natsu gently let go of her hand, starting up the engine.

"Okay Lucy, I got big plans for your first night as a house mate. We'll get you settled in, and when Wendy gets home from her shift, we're gonna order spicy takeaway, have a three-way Mario Kart battle, and follow it up by watching Project A. Sound good?"

Lucy took in a deep breath. The grin on Natsu's face was infectious, and the smile she returned was genuine, if a trifle watery. "Better than good Natsu. That sounds perfect."


	6. Chapter 6

Lucy sniffed the aroma wafting up from the pan appreciatively as she tossed the chicken, vegetables and savoury sauce around the wok with the wooden spatula. It was her turn to cook tonight, and she was making one of her favourites, kung pao chicken. Living in the house with Natsu and Wendy, she'd rediscovered her love of cooking. Cooking for herself had seemed to be just too much effort when she'd lived alone, but now, with two housemates ready to devour whatever she made them, it was fun again.

She glanced into the saucepan covered by a glass lid on the back of the stove. The rice had almost finished steaming, Wendy had texted to say she was on her way home, and Natsu was in the shower, having finished his shift an hour earlier. She grimaced, resisting the urge to scratch the intense itch in her forearm. She was still getting used to the tightness of the pressure garment sleeves she had been fitted with yesterday. She would have to wear these sleeves for the next eighteen months to minimise scarring where the burns were deepest from wrist to elbow, where she'd dragged herself forward on the burning carpet. It was worth it though, if it meant that she didn't have to go through skin graft operations. Her physiotherapist had warned her about the itching. Thankfully, the rest of her burns were healing well, with only flat pale pink skin showing.

Lucy smiled as she stirred with the spatula. She'd only been living here with Natsu and Wendy for a month, but it felt like forever. It felt like home. After the first week, filled with laughter filled games of Uno and Mario Kart, mock fights over what movies they should watch together, late night heart to hearts with Natsu while Wendy snored between them on the sofa, and a grocery shopping expedition where she swore Natsu had bought every type of chilli sauce known to man, there was no more talk of Lucy looking for somewhere else to live.

She sighed happily. It had been a long time since she'd felt like she belonged somewhere. The building owners had contacted her and released her from her current rental contract, agreeing to contact her to see if she still wanted the apartment once repairs were completed. She still hadn't received a payout on her contents insurance, but she wasn't too worried. She still had some savings and was making a small income doing human interest stories for Jason, enough to help pay for her share of groceries and her medication and treatment, thankfully mostly covered by insurance. Natsu and Wendy had flatly refused to let her pay any rent. They were so good to her. The longer she stayed in their home, the closer she'd felt to Natsu and Wendy. Natsu especially. She'd even met his mother, via Skype, currently travelling with friends in Italy, and she liked her. She could see where Natsu got a lot of his cheekiness from.

Now that she'd got used to living with Natsu, they teased each other incessantly. She'd even pulled some pranks on him, hardly believing her own daring. He usually roared with laughter, chasing her around the house when he figured out she was responsible, tickling her in retribution. And he'd been there for her whenever she needed him. When she woke from nightmares, during that first week, he had been there, with calm words and comforting hugs. The first time he'd come home from work in his uniform, still reeking of smoke from a fire he'd attended and it had set off a panic attack, he'd talked her through it. Now he was careful to have a quick shower at work first if he'd attended a fire call out, bagging up his uniform and washing his work clothes separately. She couldn't imagine what these last few weeks would have been like without him. For the time being, no matter what happened with her apartment, she was happy here.

She was so engrossed in her cooking she didn't even hear her housemate sneak up behind her until he'd propped his chin on her shoulder to look into the pan. She jumped slightly, smacking his knuckles with the wooden spatula as he tried to reach into the hot wok and snag a piece of chicken.

"Fingers out Natsu!" she chided. "Wendy will be home any minute, you can have some then."

"Ouch! Aw, you're no fun…", he pouted, still leaning his chin on her shoulder. "Didja put extra chilli in it this time?"

"Nope. It's already got two dried chillies and Sichuan peppercorn powder, that's plenty. If you want it any hotter, you can put extra chillies on your own serving. Just because you've got a cast iron stomach, doesn't mean Wendy and I need to suffer."

"Spoilsport", muttered Natsu. He stepped back, giving her more elbow room to move the meat and vegetables around in the pan, watching her as she hummed happily. After a few minutes of silence, he opened his mouth as if to ask a question, and then closed it again. Lucy eyed him quizzically.

"Something on your mind Natsu?"

"Uh, yeah", he smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just a little nervous about askin' ya." Lucy bumped him playfully with her hip.

"Pfft", she grinned. She turned off the heat under both the wok and the rice to give him her full attention. "Since when have you been the nervous type, Natsu Dragneel?"

Natsu swallowed. "Well… since I've been around you Lucy."

Lucy looked at him in concern. "What? Natsu, if I've done something to upset you, please tell me!"

Natsu shook his head. "Nuh uh. Quite the opposite." He took a deep breath and let it out again. "Lucy, how would you feel about goin' on a date with me?"

"A date?" said Lucy, shocked.

"Yeah. Look, I know you've had a lot to deal with this past year, but… I like you. _Really_ like you. And I'd like to get to know you even better. We can take things as slow as you want. Snail's pace if that would make you feel comfortable. I just… I wanted to tell you how I feel about ya."

Lucy's mind whirled. A date? With Natsu? She couldn't remember the last time she'd been on a date. She felt so close to him already, could see the idea of them being a couple would be something she might want, but… What if Natsu went out with her and then changed his mind? What if he got to know her and found her wanting? Would that make the house uncomfortable? And what would Wendy say? Would she have to move out? Be alone again? She was only just starting to feel comfortable in her own skin, after what felt like years of unhappiness. The dark cloud she'd been living under was finally starting to clear, and if she were honest with herself, it had a lot to do with the man standing in front of her. He was cute and funny and strong and brave; everything she could ever want. But… she couldn't deny she was afraid. She bit her bottom lip, blinking anxiously.

Natsu reached out his hand, stroking her arm. "Lucy, hey, it's okay. I'm sorry if I've made you feel uncomfortable", he said softly. "I'll just… yeah, I got washing to do so I'll…". He let his hand drop and turned away, striding off towards the laundry.

Lucy hugged her arms, looking down at the steaming chicken in the wok, as if it could give her answers. What should she do?

Natsu flung his work clothes into the washing machine, uncaring of how he did it, his heart pounding in his chest, his eyes burning. Stupid, stupid, he was so fucking stupid! Of course it was too soon. She'd just looked so beautiful, with the light above the stove shining on her, illuminating her golden hair like a halo. She was humming and smiling and… he buried his face in his hands. He hoped he hadn't ruined everything. Maybe if he just pulled back, gave her space, maybe it would still be okay. If she just wanted his friendship, at the end of the day he'd rather have that than lose her entirely.

"Natsu?" said an uncertain voice behind him.

Uncovering his face and taking a deep breath, he turned, doing his best to smile for her, pleased that he managed to speak in an even tone without his voice cracking. "Hey Luce. Is dinner ready?"

"Natsu" she murmured softly, her eyes shining in the dim light of the laundry, "I like you too. I really do. It's just… I'm afraid."

Natsu's gaze softened. "Luce, I would never do anything to hurt you." Lucy shook her head.

"No, that's not it." She grimaced, flapping her hands as she searched for the right words. "For a long time, it's felt like my emotions haven't really worked properly. Like they were broken, like_ I_ was broken. I felt a little bit happy or sad sometimes, but mostly I just felt nothing. And now, since I met you, they're starting to come back and I just… what if you don't like me?" Her voice squeaked, and she bit her bottom lip, abusing the soft flesh with her teeth.

Natsu tilted his head to one side, confusion evident in his expression. "But Luce, this whole asking you out thing is because I _do_ like you!"

"Yes, but what if that changes?" she replied in a panicky voice. "What if you get to know the real me and I'm annoying? What if I'm irritating? What if the girl you like is the girl I was before, when I was quiet and did my best not to call attention to myself and get along with everyone? When I wasn't me?" Lucy panted, looking at him with wide eyes.

Natsu reached out and took her hand. "Hey", he said gently. "That's a lot of 'what ifs' Lucy. But do you know what? That girl that I'm starting to see? That one that pranked me by pairing all my odd socks together and who put chilli flakes in my coffee the other morning? The one that gave me a draw four followed by two draw twos last time we played Uno and crowed about it the whole evening? The one that talks to me when we sit on the sofa with a hot chocolate at night, like _really_ talks, and is interested in what I have to say, what I feel. I like her. And the more I see of her, the more I like." He grinned at her, rubbing his thumb gently on her wrist. "We don't have ta go on a date if you don't wanna Luce. Just knowing that you like me a little is enough for now."

Lucy searched his face, feeling a warmth expanding in her chest. She was reminded of that time in the hospital when she had the first panic attack, and Natsu had helped her calm down. He'd been there for her constantly over the last month. And he had never let her down. She took in a deep calming breath.

"Do you know what Natsu? Let's do it. I'd like to go out on a date with you."

Natsu examined her expression with a worried look on his face. "You're not just sayin' that? I don't wanna pressure you into anythin' you're not feelin' ready for Lucy. That's the last thing I want."

Lucy squeezed his hand, shaking her head. "Nope. I want to. I really do." She smiled at him shyly. "Do you know, I feel brave when I'm with you, and more like me than I have for a very long time. When I'm with you, I feel strong enough to slay dragons."

Natsu chuckled. "Lucy the dragon slayer huh." Grinning, he sketched a courtly bow, kissing her hand softly. "Will I be allowed to accompany you on this dangerous mission milady?"

Lucy snorted. "Of course. I couldn't possibly go anywhere without my court jester." Natsu puffed out his cheeks, pouting his bottom lip.

"Jester? I thought I'd rank at least a squire. Or maybe I could even be the dragon." He grinned at her, tilting his head and showing the slightly sharp canine teeth that made his smile look a little dangerous. "Think you could tame a dragon Lucy?"

Lucy took a step closer, a teasing smile on her face. "Maybe I could, if it were you…" Natsu's eyes widened, and he took a step closer too. He reached out his other hand, stroking her cheek gently, then rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. Both of them were breathing harder, leaning towards each other.

"Hellooooo, I'm home! What did you cook Lucy? I'm starving!" At Wendy's voice, both of them flinched, Natsu dropping his hand from Lucy's face.

"Um, I should…" said Lucy, pointing backwards over her shoulder towards the kitchen. Natsu gave her other hand a gentle squeeze, and let her go.

"Sure Lucy. I'll be there in a sec, okay?" Natsu grinned at her as she backed slowly out of the laundry, then turned and fled back to the kitchen. He sighed, turning to dump detergent on top of his dirty clothes and switching on the machine. "Dammit Wendy. Worst timing ever."


	7. Chapter 7

"Okay, so spill. What's going on between you and Natsu?"

Lucy made an indistinct noise, nearly snorting her strawberry milkshake out her nose. Wendy had dragged her to the mall this morning on the pretext of 'girl time' and so far, it had been great. First stop had been to '_Polish Me Pretty_' for mani pedi's, then they'd had fun looking around a Japanese dollar store, both leaving with a bag full of cute and kitschy things they hadn't known they needed until they saw them. They were now taking a break from shopping at a café, and Lucy was feeling relaxed and happy. Wendy's question had caught her totally unprepared.

Lucy gulped down the mouthful of milkshake threatening to choke her and licked her lips, placing the metal container down on the table next to her half-eaten donut. "Uh, what do you mean Wendy? We're the same as always."

Wendy rolled her eyes, noisily slurping her chocolate milkshake through the straw. "Yeah, _sure_ you are. You've been dancing around each other for the past two days. Natsu _blushed_ when you handed him his coffee this morning." Her eyes sparkled and the corners of her lips curled up in a knowing grin. "It's so obvious. You like each other, don't you? Are you gonna go out with him?"

Lucy's eyes widened. What should she say? "Um… we do like each other, but…"

Wendy squealed excitedly, bouncing a little in her seat across from Lucy, her long blue pigtails bouncing with her. A few café patrons glanced at them curiously as Lucy frantically waved her hand and shushed her. "Wendy! Calm down! This is embarrassing!" Wendy giggled behind her hand at Lucy's frantic expression.

"I'm sorry", she grinned, "but I'm just so happy for you both!" She planted her elbows on the table and leaned forward. "So, are you going out on a date?"

Lucy smiled back, nodding shyly, twirling the straw of her milkshake absentmindedly between her fingers as she took another sip. "Yes, Natsu's asked me, but we haven't decided when or where yet." She snorted. "Hopefully it won't be anywhere too fancy, it's not like I've got a wide variety of clothes to choose from at the moment." She glanced down at the pale pink yoga pants and loose t-shirt she was wearing. She'd bought a few more outfits online as she'd been paid, but she'd aimed for comfort rather than style as her injuries healed.

Wendy clapped her hands together, a look of determination on her face. "Alright! We're in just the right place! Let's go shopping and buy you a date outfit Lucy! My treat!"

Lucy spluttered. "Wendy! I couldn't possibly let you buy me an outfit!"

"Sure you can", announced Wendy airily. "And it's not like I'm giving you a choice anyway." She grinned again. "You two are good for each other Lucy. I can't think of anyone that Natsu's been so blatantly head over heels for, ever. And if little cuz Wendy can help smooth the path of true love with a bit of clothes shopping, who are you to stop me?" She looked down at Lucy's plate. "You better eat that up – the way I shop, you're gonna need the energy!" she teased.

* * *

Lucy frowned as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She'd didn't consider herself a vain person. She had always liked clothes, and had taken pride in her appearance, but her self-esteem had never really depended on how she looked. Or so she had thought. But now she was second guessing the outfit that she and Wendy had so much fun picking out together.

The floral skater skirt she'd fallen in love with on sight and Wendy had bought as part of her 'date outfit' was a perfect fit, the soft fabric falling to mid-thigh in flattering folds against her slim legs. She still loved the skirt, but that wasn't the problem. She looked below the hem of the skirt at the mostly healed burn scars on the front of her thighs. Her pale skin had always scarred easily – she had a weird shape on one thumb where a pelican had bit her when she was a toddler, and a star shaped pattern on her knee where she'd come off her bike. But these scars – these would take some getting used to. They were obvious against her lightly tanned skin, the mixture of pale and darker pink looking even more vivid than usual, lit by the afternoon sunshine streaming in her bedroom window. She tugged at the hem of her skirt. Maybe she should have bought over the knee socks to wear with it. But that would still have left scars uncovered. And it wasn't like Natsu didn't know her legs were scarred, but… She chewed her thumb nail, unsure about her reflection.

Her shirt was white and sleeveless, with a cute peter pan collar. The skin coloured pressure sleeves on her arms were ugly, but she planned to hide them under a light cardigan, so that wasn't really a problem. Her blonde hair was caught back in a loose braid with a few soft pieces around her face, and she'd kept her makeup simple and natural looking. She looked at her legs again. She really had wanted to look nice when she went out with Natsu and had picked this skirt for their date because it was so different to the loose unisex outfits that he'd seen her in since leaving the hospital.

"Hey Lucy?" Wendy's voice filtered through her closed bedroom door. "Natsu just messaged me – he said he was running a little late, but he got changed at work and will be home in ten."

"Okay, thanks Wendy." Lucy sighed. No time to change now. She sat down on her bed to pull on her tan suede ankle boots. She would really have to pay Wendy back. The younger girl had got so excited buying her an outfit that Lucy hadn't had the heart to tell her to stop, but shoes as well as the clothes was really too much. She stroked the soft suede, trying to calm the nervous butterflies somersaulting in her stomach. Natsu hadn't really even told her what he had planned. Just that he wanted to take her out on Friday evening after he got home from work. She pulled on the baby blue cardigan with small heart shaped buttons, also soft to touch. It was still Summer, but the evenings were starting to get chilly.

She heard a soft knock on her door. "Lucy, can I come in?"

"Sure Wendy," she said, adding her wallet, tissues, keys and lip gloss to the small satchel style leather handbag that she'd bought online.

Wendy's head poked around the door, her long blue hair shimmering as the sunlight hit it. "Ooh, Lucy, you look lovely!" she exclaimed, stepping into the room. She made a circling movement with her forefinger, and Lucy obediently twirled for her, tugging her skirt downwards as she did so. Wendy gave her an encouraging smile.

"Lucy, the scars will fade", she said gently. "You're beautiful. And it's not like Natsu's not covered in scars either you know."

Lucy's eyes widened. "He is?"

Wendy snorted. "Guess you're not up to that part of the relationship yet huh?" she sniggered. "He got them in a house fire when he was younger – tried to climb through a broken window that was too small and cut up his side really badly on the glass. Sliced his neck too. He had so many stitches – I tried to count them while he was in hospital, but I was only four – I couldn't count high enough." They both turned at the sound of a key in a lock as the front door opened, and Wendy smiled again. "Speak of the devil!"

Lucy took one deep breath, then walked out into the lounge room where Natsu had just sat down on the sofa to wait for her. He looked like a nervous wreck; his unkempt pink hair even messier than usual as he ran his fingers through his fringe. He'd dressed nicely, wearing his 'good' jeans and leather boots, and a slim fitting black polo shirt that she hadn't seen before that accentuated his muscular frame. He jumped to his feet as soon as he saw her.

"Lucy, I'm so sorry I'm late, I left my wallet at the station when I got changed and I had to go back and…"

Lucy smiled at him, feeling most of the butterflies that had been teasing her stomach settle one by one. It helped that he was nervous too, that he understood the weight of this step they were taking together. She giggled.

"Natsu, you're babbling." Lucy reached out her hand and squeezed his fingers. "It's just me, remember?" She tugged on his hand and he chuckled.

"Yeah, I know. I've just never been great at this date stuff. But I put a lot of thought into this and I really want you to have a good time tonight Lucy." He took in her outfit appreciatively. "You look gorgeous, by the way". The last of Lucy's butterflies took flight, leaving only excitement behind.

"Thank you Natsu. You look good too. And of course I'll have a good time, silly. I'm with you." Lucy beamed at him, giggling at the pink dusting his cheeks. They both did their best to ignore Wendy cooing in delight at their mutual compliments in the background.

"Have fun you two!" she teased. "Don't stay out too late, and don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

Natsu mock glared at Wendy and took a deep breath. "Alright, let's get this show on the road Lucy. I hope you're feelin' hungry!"

* * *

Natsu parked his little Datsun near the town centre and they strolled down the main street, hand in hand, the sunset dusting everything with a rosy glow. Long shadows tilted in front of them, making giants out of everyday objects. Natsu squeezed Lucy's hand as they rounded the corner, and Lucy squeezed back and smiled, relishing the warmth of Natsu's palm against hers. His hands were always warm.

"I read lots of reviews, and this place is meant to make the best spicy hot pot in Magnolia", said Natsu excitedly, licking his lips. "I've been wanting to try out this place for ages, and this seemed like the perfect night. I can't wait!" He gestured proudly with his hand to a Sichuan Chinese restaurant called _Rising Embers_, the windows painted with stylized red dragons.

"Um, Natsu? It's closed."

Natsu turned, glancing at the doorway in confusion. "But it can't be! I called and made a booking this morning!" He let go of Lucy's hand, cupping his hands around his face so he could peer through the window into the darkened interior.

Lucy pointed at a note stuck to the inside of the door with sticky tape, written in both Chinese hanzi and English. "It says closed due to a family emergency. I hope everyone's okay." She turned to take in the disappointment on Natsu's face and grabbed his hand and squeezed gently. "Don't worry Natsu, it doesn't matter if we can't go tonight. We'll just come back some other time, okay?"

Natsu sighed, seemingly mollified by her reassurance that they could come back. "Okay. I just really wanted to take you somewhere special the first time we went out on a date." He interlaced their fingers and raised their joined hands to his lips, kissing Lucy's knuckles gently. "I like holding your hand, by the way", he said softly, rubbing his thumb on her wrist.

Lucy smiled at him. Already her jaw was starting to ache from smiling so much in one evening. Was she that out of practice? "I like it too, Natsu."

Natsu grinned, tugging on her hand. "C'mon Luce, we've still got two hours before we need to be somewhere else. Let's find another place to eat. I'm starving!" He yanked her forward and she giggled as he pulled her back up the street in the direction they'd just come.

It looked like most of Magnolia had the same idea to eat out that evening. They walked along the main road, but nearly every restaurant looked full to bursting.

"What about here?" asked Lucy, pointing to the pub on the corner. It also looked to be busy, but there were some empty tables in the beer garden at the side. Fairy lights twinkled in the trees and under the yellow and white striped umbrellas shading the wooden picnic tables, and people chatted animatedly, drinking beer and eating chips and burgers.

Natsu rolled his eyes. "Give me some credit Luce. It's our first date. I want to take you somewhere _nice_ to eat." But as the minutes ticked away, and every restaurant had a wait time of another hour, they ended up standing in front of the pub again. Natsu grumbled under his breath.

Lucy looked at the brick building. It seemed like any other pub she'd ever seen, smelling faintly of stale beer, with blackboards advertising upcoming live bands and a weekly trivia night. The name was cute too, 'Three of Cups'; Lucy recognised it as a minor arcana tarot card. Natsu still looked reluctant.

"Is there something about this place you're not telling me Natsu?"

Natsu sighed, running his fingers through his already messy fringe exasperatedly as they walked in the door past the front bar and out into the beer garden. "There's nothing wrong with it exactly, it's just owned by someone I went to university with. She's a good friend, but sometimes she can come on a little…"

"Heeeey, Natsuuuuuu!"

A tall woman with brown wavy hair and a wide smile waved at them, easily transferring the empty glasses she was collecting to a tray balanced on one curvy jean covered hip.

Natsu huffed out a sigh but smiled as he turned to face the woman with a wave. "Hey Cana, it's good to see you."

Cana grinned at him, putting the tray with glasses down on an empty table and leaning forward to give him a swift hug, the tight black cropped t-shirt she wore leaving little to the imagination regarding her curvy figure. "Don't lie, hotshot, we both know you're terrible at it." She winked, looking Lucy up and down. "You do realise you're punching above your weight with this one Natsu."

Natsu made a warning noise in the back of his throat. "Cana!" he growled. "Settle down, okay? This is Lucy. Lucy, this my friend Cana – we met at university, and she's hung around like a bad smell ever since."

Cana rolled her eyes at him and held her hand out to shake Lucy's. "Nice to meetcha Lucy!" She lowered her voice a little and grinned at her mischievously. "If things don't work out tonight with this dork, stop by the bar and get my number."

Lucy flushed as she shook Cana's hand, not quite sure what to say. "Oh, um, thank you, I'm flattered, but um…"

Cana grinned, ignoring Natsu's sputtering in the background. "Never mind, I gotcha. Always worth a try, ya know. So are you guys thinking about eating here? First drinks are on me tonight Natsu, friend discount."

Natsu nodded, and Cana grinned. "Okay, sit wherever. You can order at the bar when you're ready to eat. Natsu knows what's good on the menu, he's a regular."

Lucy and Natsu sat down facing each other on the bench seating, the fairy lights overhead twinkling merrily under the yellow and white striped umbrellas. Natsu coughed apologetically, reaching out for her hand across the wooden picnic table.

"So, uh, that was Cana."

Lucy smiled. "So I gathered. She seems nice." Natsu snorted but nodded.

"I dunno if _nice_ is the word I'd use, but she's definitely a good friend. Gray and I come here a lot for lunch." He rattled off the menu to her, and after she'd made her choice he went off to the bar to order, returning with a beer for each of them and the restaurant pager that would indicate when their food was ready.

Ten minutes later when the pager began beeping, Natsu disappeared again, returning with Lucy's chicken skewers and his own gigantic beef burger with a bowl of wedges to share. Lucy tucked in. She was really hungry, and the garlic and lemon flavoured chicken was delicious. Natsu was also hungry, judging by the way he launched himself into eating the burger on his plate. A movement next to Lucy's shoulder made her look up.

"Everything okay? Is the food good?" asked Cana as she paused near them with a tray crowded with empty glasses.

"It's really delicious, thank you", replied Lucy with a smile. Natsu, whose mouth was clearly too full to make any sort of coherent comment, just gave her a thumbs up.

"Okay, glad to hear it!" grinned Cana, disappearing with her tray. But as they ate their meal, she kept reappearing, watching them with a knowing grin. Natsu was clearly getting more irritated by the second as she loitered near them to pick up glasses. Again.

"Are you nearly finished eating Lucy?" he grumped, as Cana sashayed past them with her tray, giving Natsu a meaningful wink.

Lucy leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Natsu, it's okay, really. She's obviously just teasing you, trying to get a rise out of you. Just ignore it."

"Well, it's working dammit", he growled. He'd finished his burger and Lucy was three quarters of the way through her meal. "How about we get out of here, and I buy you ice-cream instead? There's a place near where we're goin' next."

Lucy nodded. "That sounds good!" They each snagged a handful of wedges to eat on the way and got up to leave, Natsu glowering over his shoulder at a grinning Cana.

"Nice to meet ya Lucy! See ya later Natsu!" called out Cana.

"Not if I see you first", muttered Natsu. Lucy bumped his hip playfully with hers.

"Come on, cheer up! The food was really good! I'd like to go here again." Natsu raised an eyebrow at her. "Okay, it possibly wasn't the romantic atmosphere you wanted during dinner, but I'm enjoying myself Natsu, really."

Natsu's usual cheerful grin returned. "Okay."

He took her hand again, and they walked down towards the canal, where there was a man selling ice-cream from a small pink refrigerated food vendor's cart on wheels. Lucy got a single strawberry cone with a drizzle of cherry syrup, and Natsu ordered a double cone with butterscotch pecan and vanilla. They dawdled slowly across the bridge, licking their ice-creams, and enjoying the balmy twilight, smiling at each other.

"Look out!" yelled a voice behind them. A courier riding a bicycle zoomed close by, knocking Lucy off balance as she shifted quickly to get out of the way. Natsu's arm wrapped around her waist before she could fall, pulling her tightly against him. She dropped her ice-cream with a cry of surprise, watching it land with a splat on the ground in front of her, just missing her new suede boots. Natsu's elbow jostled against the edge of the stone bridge, and the scoops of ice-cream dropped into the canal, leaving him holding an empty cone.

"Watch where you're goin' you ass wipe!" hollered Natsu at the retreating back of the cyclist, who had already made it across the bridge. His distant cry of 'sorry' floated back on the breeze towards them but did nothing to improve Natsu's temper.

"Are you okay Lucy?" he asked gruffly, glancing in disgust at the empty ice-cream cone still clutched in his fist, then tossing it over the side of the bridge to join the rest of it in the water below. She nodded.

"I'm sorry Lucy. Like I told you earlier, I'm not real good at planning dates", he sighed. His expression was so despondent that she couldn't help hugging him tightly.

"Natsu, this is all just unlucky! It wasn't your fault that the first restaurant was closed. The pub would have been amazing if Cana hadn't been trying to tease you! And my ice-cream was really good! Please don't be down about this, okay?" Natsu hugged her back, then picked her up, twirling her around. He finally listened to her squeals to put her down, but refused to relinquish his hold on her, kissing her on top of her head.

"Why are you so nice Lucy? Any sane person would have given up on this date by now! Hopefully this last thing will make it up to you – I know you'll love this!" He glanced at his phone to check the time. "Crap, we gotta move or we'll miss the beginning!"

He grabbed Lucy's hand and tugged her along, until they ended up outside an old movie theatre. The exterior architecture reminded Lucy of photos she'd seen of 1920's buildings.

"This place shows older movies, and it looks really cool inside too, all red velvet curtains and cushy seats. They even have people dressed up in old time usher costumes who show you to your seats and sell popcorn. I checked their website yesterday and they've got a Jane Austen movie festival running – they're playing '_Sense and Sensibility_' tonight, which I happen to know is one of your favourites, because I heard you tell Wendy!"

Lucy grinned at him, squeezing his arm. "Oh wow Natsu, I haven't seen that movie in ages! Thank you so much!"

Natsu walked over to the small ticket booth, manned by a bored looking woman with dark hair. "Two tickets to _Sense and Sensibility_ please", he said cheerfully.

"Sorry love, no can do. That's on next month during our Jane Austen festival. It's '_Screamers_' showing tonight – we're doing a 90's space theme this week."

"You're joking", said Natsu, pulling back. "Please, tell me you're joking. I looked it up yesterday – your website said it was on this evening!"

"Yeah, sorry about that. There was a mix up and the wrong dates were entered. Did you want tickets or not?"

Natsu looked at her, speechless. He turned to Lucy, who had her back to him, her shoulders shaking. Natsu tentatively put his hand on her shoulder. "Lucy, please don't be upset. We'll come back and see it when it's on, okay? I promise, I'll make it up to you. Please don't cry!"

Lucy turned around. There were indeed tears in her eyes, but that was because she was struggling not to laugh. Finally she gave up and let loose, laughing louder than Natsu had ever heard her. She threw her arms around his neck, still giggling. Natsu gazed at her, unsure of what to do.

"I'm sorry to laugh", she giggled, "really Natsu, but it's just so ridiculous! And you tried so hard!" She stood up on tiptoe and kissed him gently on the lips. "Let's go buy a hot chocolate and talk under the stars. What do you say?"

Natsu was momentarily stunned after her kiss, but then smiled, dropping his forehead to hers. "Whatever you say milady", he grinned, returning her kiss with one of his own.

* * *

Lucy was still giggling as they finally sat down under a tree in the park, Natsu leaning back against the trunk, with Lucy sitting between his legs, her back against his chest. Natsu rested his chin on top of her head, reaching around to tap her on the nose as she handed him his takeaway hot chocolate with extra marshmallows.

"You can stop laughing now, you know. It's not that funny", he grumbled as he sipped his hot chocolate, trying not to smile.

"Oh, but it is", she sniggered. "Do you know Natsu, you couldn't have planned a better first date if you'd tried. Do you know why?"

"All right, I'll take the bait. Why Lucy?"

"Because", she giggled, "I'm never going to forget this date, not in a million years." She cupped her hands around her hot chocolate, taking careful sips of the hot liquid.

"Yeah", sighed Natsu. "That's pretty true. I'd rather that it was because I'd got everything _right_ though." Hearing the wistful tone in his voice, Lucy put down her hot chocolate, and turned so she was kneeling in front of him.

"But you did get everything right Natsu!" she exclaimed, stroking his cheek. "Every single thing you picked to do, was something you chose because you believed I would enjoy it, that _we'd_ enjoy doing it together. And that makes you the most thoughtful person I've ever gone on a date with."

Natsu snorted. "The other guys you've been out with must have been total bastards then. Why wouldn't I want to choose things that you'd want to do?" He shifted slightly, pulling on her shoulder gently. "Here, if you're gonna turn around this way, scoot sideways and sit on me. I don't want you to scrape the skin on your legs, not when it's just getting better."

Lucy moved to sit on Natsu's thigh. "Why are you so kind to me Natsu?" she asked seriously.

"I can't help it", he grinned.

"No, I mean it."

"So do I", he said, tucking a loose lock of hair behind her ear. "There's just somethin' about you Luce. It's like I need to help you find your smile, and when you smile at me, it's the best thing ever."

Lucy looped her arms around his neck. "You do help me smile Natsu. I don't think I've ever been this happy."

"That's good to know", he said huskily, moving his forefinger down to her chin and tilting her head back. His green eyes examined hers carefully, pausing, the tension between them winding so taut that Lucy was sure it would snap, and then he closed his eyes and bent down to meet his lips with hers.

The first press of his lips was gentle, exploratory as he learned the shape of hers, the curve and texture. They were petal soft, moving gently against his own. "Lucy," he murmured, his hand moving to cradle the back of her head. He stroked his tongue over her plump bottom lip, tasting cherry lip gloss and hot chocolate, a delicious combination. Eager to taste more, Natsu licked and then sucked her lip between his teeth. She gave a needy whimper, and he slipped his tongue swiftly into her mouth to explore and learn all he could. Her tongue was silky and slid against his, and he groaned. Her hands had thoroughly messed his hair, and his had made their way downwards, resting on her hips. Breaking from her lips, he placed small heated kisses in the hollow of her throat as Lucy sighed his name, her fingers still twisting in his tangled hair.

A throat clearing behind them had Lucy squeaking, hiding her head in Natsu's neck, and his shooting upwards with a glare.

"Sorry to break this up kids, but the park is now officially closed, and you're trespassing. You're gonna have to take this somewhere else." At least the park ranger had the decency to shine the torch to one side, rather than shine it directly in his eyes. Natsu's head tipped backward onto the tree trunk with a dull thud.

"That's it. I'm officially done with today Luce. Let's go home."

The park ranger waited until they'd picked up their mostly empty cups and walked through the park gate, then shut and locked it behind them with a clang. Lucy was still feeling embarrassed, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth as they walked back towards Natsu's car. She peeked at Natsu out of the corner of her eye. He was striding along with his eyes down, hands thrust in his jean pockets.

"I'm sorry", she said hesitantly.

Natsu looked at her incredulously. "What on earth have you got to apologise for Lucy?"

"Well, the park was my idea", she answered softly. "I didn't realise that they would close it when it got to a certain time." She curled her fingers around his bicep. "And I was having a pretty good time until we were, um, interrupted." She cleared her throat. "Natsu, when you said you were done with today, that didn't mean that you were done with, um, the idea of us…"

Natsu leaned down and kissed her swiftly. "That answer your question Lucy?" He took his hand out of his pocket and wrapped it around her shoulders. "Please say you'll give me another chance at this", he chuckled. "I know I can do better."

Lucy wrapped her arm around his waist as they continued walking back to his car. "Of course I will Natsu. But can I make a suggestion?"

"Anythin' Luce."

"Maybe next date we can send Wendy out, and order in. That way there'll be less chance of things going wrong, or any interruptions." Natsu leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"Great plan Luce. Tomorrow good for you?"

Lucy sighed happily. "Tomorrow sounds awesome."

* * *

_This, believe it or not, is based roughly on my husband and I's very first date as a couple. We'd been best friends for about three years before we started going out, but he was very determined to take me on a 'proper date'. He lost his wallet and was running late; the French restaurant was booked out for a private function and the dinky Chinese restaurant we ended up at was where his female flatmate worked. She teased us the whole time we were there but did give us free soft drink. Then when we got to the movies, Sense and Sensibility wasn't playing as advertised, but Screamers was. Unlike Natsu and Lucy, we stayed to watch it. It was hilariously bad. Then we got sprung making out in the hallway at university. It was an unforgettable night and makes me think of him lovingly every time I remember it. _


End file.
